Jessica Alba Just Got Real About the Meaning Behind 1 of Her Tattoos

For some of us, celebrity ink serves up some serious inspiration, but sometimes celebrities are brave enough to admit their body-art regrets. Take, for instance, Jessica Alba, who recently included tattoos — she has "a few" — in her list of beauty regrets for her September 2016 Allure cover story.

"You're never going to be in the same place emotionally and mentally at 18 that you are at 20 or 25 or 30. Something that's meaningful to you when you're younger is not going to be meaningful to you five years later," the Honest Company founder and Mechanic: Resurrection actress told the magazine before offering up a bit of wisdom to those considering getting a piece done: "Understand that tattoos are forever."

All of this enlightening info brings us to Jessica's Sept. 8 appearance on The Late Show. Host Stephen Colbert noticed the lotus tattoo (symbolic of "the manifestation of spiritual beauty") on her wrist and curiously asked why she got it. Her answer? A breakup . . . with a famous actor.

"He was really anti-tattoos," she said, "and I felt like after I broke up with him, I found myself again. It's unnecessary to talk about this. He's like a famous actor." Though Jessica was sure not to name any names, her story is a subtle reminder to make sure you're willing to commit to your tattoo, because otherwise, you might have to endure the painful removal process.